Canon HD Camcorders

What I want to do should be relatively simple, but being new to Mac and HD camcorders I'm needing some help. I will be getting a camera that is compatible with the Imovie 08 or 09 (I'll upgrade if need be, curently have '08 version). All I want to accomplish is to film high quality HD video, transfer it to my Mac Pro computer, and burn and HD disc that will play in a HD DVD player, BluRay, etc. Compatibility/ease of use is my primary objective.....
1. I'm looking a Canon HF10, HF 100, and even the Canon Hv300 (mini DV). Which would you choose and why?
2. Will the AVCHD video play in a new BluRay player?
3. I believe I saw in IMovie '08 there is a drop down to burn to true HD, and also SD. Correct?
Any other camera recs would be appreciated. Like I say, all I want to do is capture and create the highest quality DVD's possible with as little headache as possible. That's why I'm trying to taylor my camera purchase to what works best with what I've already got computer wise. Thanks for all the help for a newbie.

Hi phrogs69, and a warm welcome to the forums!
iMove, & Final Cut of the proper version will do it, you you have the right iMac...
http://www.jakeludington.com/mac/20080425editing_avchd_on_mac_os_x_with_imovie_or_finalcut.html

Similar Messages

Has anyone used canon AVCHD camcorders with cs4?

Im considering getting a Canon HF10 camcorder, and want to know if anyones run into any problems editing with this, or any canon AVCHD camcorders. I hope it works well, because my only other options are ulead and pinnacle (and of course avid, sigh) and those options are pretty bleak.

I have the HF11 and love it...however editing is painful ( and I have a quad core Q9650 w 8GB). I also have a Canon HDV HV30 and like it also, they each have their pro's can con's, but for the ability to just pick it up and go it is hard to beat. Until Adobe can support the higher bit rates (i.e. above 17MB/sec) I am converting mine into cineform lossless codec(Please note they don't have a fully functional CS4 version yet, but it is supposed to be out soon).

Canon Elura 100 or Canon ZR600 Camcorders

I'm looking for reviews on either of the camcorders given in the subject line. I'm wanting to know how well or not they work using iMovie. I'm new to this, so I'm a little nervous and not sure how to do all this. I've read reviews online but having looked at a few postings, there are many knowledgeable people here. So I bet some people can help with this dilemma. Thanks for the help.
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

David, I read the review you linked to. Wow, it's almost as detailed as the Canon's User Guide. It seems to me that everything the reviewer says about the Elura 100 is true. It just comes down to a matter of which detractors you can live with.
Cynthia, I asked myself this same question just 2 months ago. Only I had it between the Elura 100 and ZR700, because I need the AV in for converting my old analog Super-8 tapes to digital. I chose the Elura 100 because of the larger CCD. I looked at usa.canon.com and compared the two models, and the Elura seemed like the slightly better camera. The above review seems to corroborate. That review is highly critical of the Elura 100's physical layout. You just have to play with the two cameras in the store to see if this is a problem for you. The biggest layout difference is whether or not you have buttons on the flip-out LCD. The reviewer is critical of the Elura's button layout and complains that you have to look at the buttons to use them. For me, that's no big deal. I figure having all buttons on the back means it's at least possible to use the camera with one hand; if there are functions below the LCD then you HAVE to use your left hand to use those buttons. To me, that means even more distraction when you are taping. The Elura's joystick is tiny, but I haven't had a problem controlling it. This really just comes down to your personal preference and fine motor control. (Arthritis, for example might make the decision for you.)
I haven't used the ZR600, but my guess is it works the same with iMovie as the Elura 100. After you record to a miniDV tape, you just connect the camcorder to your Mac via Firewire. The camera does NOT come with the Firewire cable, so make sure you have one or buy one. In iMovie you click on the camera icon, cue the tape, and click Import. It's that simple. I think all miniDV camcorders with Firewire work the same. Since the Mac has iMovie, the Canon video software is only for PC. (Canon knows not to try to re-invent the wheel.)
The Elura 100, ZR600, and ZR700 can record onto SD card. They use the card for stills or low-res video clips (for email attachments). The Canon software for Mac is for the SD card functions only, where you connect via USB. The larger CCD of the Elura 100 gives a little better resolution on the still pictures. I do not know if the ZR600 has it, but the Elura 100 has a fun feature called "Card Mix." If you install the Canon software you have access to 7 images that you can write onto your SD card (via USB). Select an image to frame your video and activate it while you tape using the D.Effects button. It's very silly. I used one with birthday candles across the bottom of the screen when I taped my son's third birthday party.
So far I have used the Elura 100 to tape my daughter playing outside and my son's birthday party. I couldn't use a tripod at the party because I had to place the camera too close to the scene, so I held it and walked around the action a bit. I am impressed at how steady the footage is compared to my old analog tapes (no image stabilization). It's certainly not Hollywood, but it's less bouncy and jerky than I expected, given how much I was moving around.
I have also used the camera to upgrade my old footage. I plugged the AV cable from the Elura into my Sony Super-8 and recorded onto miniDV tape. Then I used the Elura to import the footage into iMovie. I did some light editing and made a DVD in iDVD. I was impressed that the video quality of my DVD looks as good as the original Super-8. In the past, all I could do with my Super-8 was record to VHS, resulting is seriously inferior video quality (why did I even bother?). If you get a DV cable you can use the Elura as a pass-through and save miniDV tapes, but I haven't used this feature because I want my old tapes to be on digital tape.
So, my short answer to your question is that both cameras work fine with iMovie. The Elura is a slightly better camera with more features than the ZR600. But if physical layout is more of a priority, you may prefer the ZR's controls with some buttons on the flip-out panel below the LCD. If you like the ZR600 but want to convert old videos to miniDV, then look at the ZR700. I chose the Elura 100 and am completely satisfied with what I got for my money.
FYI: I am not a professional. I am just a mom who likes to scrapbook and take family videos. And play with my Mac.
Happy hunting.

FCP 6.02 and Canon HD camcorders

Can someone explain to me how FCP works with a Canon XHA -1 and how to properly set up a capture sequence?
By the way, while trying to do a test capture, I am not hearing the audio on my computer. I see the green VUs in the capture window showing a signal, but the main VUs of the program appear dead. I have gone through the audio-video settings several times.
Message was edited by: Timothy Palmer-Benson

Can someone explain to me how FCP works with a Canon XHA -1 and how to properly set up a capture sequence?
By the way, while trying to do a test capture, I am not hearing the audio on my computer. I see the green VUs in the capture window showing a signal, but the main VUs of the program appear dead. I have gone through the audio-video settings several times.
Message was edited by: Timothy Palmer-Benson

Which Canon HD camcorders are the easiest to use with my MacBook Pro?

Hi!
I have a MacBook Pro with Leopard OS, 2GB and imovie 7.4. We are researching HD camcorder options and really like the Canon HG20 or 21 but have concerns for ease of use with my macbook. We won't be doing much editing and really just want to record our vacations on our camcorder and be able to show them on our HDTV's (1080i). If I understand the process, we would have to download our hard disk from the camera into the computer and then copy it to a DVD? Will my computer copy the high def. and if so can I run it on our regular DVD player or would we need a Blu-Ray?
Maybe a better question would be what would be your recommendations for a Canon HD camcorder that is the easiest to use with my MacBook? Would we be better off to go to one with flash disc as opposed to the hard disk? We need to keep this process as simple as possible! Thanks much for any advice or info!

You have been mis informed the MacBook Pro Retina does NOT work with the Apple Remote natively.
The Remote is infra red and your computer doen't have an infra red receiver onboard.
You need to purchase an external infra red receiver as well such as this
http://twistedmelon.com/mira/hardware.html

Canon Vixia HF100 24p and Final Cut Pro 7

Hello all,
Just got the HF100 and Final Cut Pro 7. New to both. My plan is to shoot everything at 1920x1080 @24p. I've heard though, that the 24p on this camera has 3/2 inserted to make it 60i. My goal is to remove the 3/2 and do all editing and fx at 24p so I can have a universal master that I can then convert to various formats (Bu-Ray, DVD, web, etc., but will not ever go to tape). What is a good workflow/settings for this? Also one possible concern is disk space (so multiple codec suggestions would be great), but may be able overcome disk space if necessary. Again, I'm completely new to final cut (I do have some post experience, but am clueless to final cut right now). A long question, I know. Thank you in advance.

ebrunoski,
Welcome to FCP 7 and to Canon AVCHD camcorders. I was in your shoes a couple of weeks ago, as I have a Canon HF11 and FCS 3 myself.
I also try to film and edit everything in 24p with my Canon and my recommendation would be to do exactly as suggested in this Apple tutorial and using Compressor:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2410
What it essentially teaches you is to (1) log and transfer your Canon 24p wrapped in 60i files, (2) make them "true" 24p in Compressor, and (3) use them back in FCP 7. Once the files have been compressed into 24p you can get rid of the ones you had logged and transferred in their 60i wrappers and use only the resulting 24p files.
Yes, it's an extra step in the process, but it's one efficient way of doing it.
Works for me!

Unsuccessful install of Canon HDV presets

I'm new to HD editing and PRE so apologies if this is not entirely clear. I've been reading here for days and now I'm more confused than ever.
I have a Canon HF S20/AVCHD and I have some clips shot in PF24 with FXP settings (17mbps, I believe). I have edited these clips in PE 8 adding some titles, cross dissolves, fades, and some frame captures (1920 x 1080). It all seemed to work pretty well except for when I export it to DVD (looks like I'm stuck with the Share/DIsc/NTSC_Widescreen_Dolby and Fit Contents with maximum of 8 mbps-but this is a whole other quagmire) I'm getting artifacts (appears to be combing, perhaps?) in the frame grabs. The video seems to play fine, albeit at less than half of the HD definition. As an aside, the assets were transferred from my camcorder using Sony PMB and when I check the properties in my Videos folder it shows that the clips as being shot at 29fps and they show as 29.97 in my project.
At any rate, in my reading, it appears that my problem is the result of not having the appropriate presets for my video and I found where someone (Paul_LS) suggested that custom presets for Canon progressive camcorders can be downloaded form the Adobe support site:
http://http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3408.
The instructions state that the presets are for a different camcorder (Canon XL-H1) and a diffrerent product (Premiere Pro 2.0) but the poster stated it would work in PE (no version).
Anyway, Step 1 is to copy the "Canon HDV.xml" file (the file I got from download is "Canon Progressive HDV.xml) to C:\Program Files (my Adobe is in Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Pro 2.0 (=> Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0)\Plug-ins\en_US\Editing Modes. There is already a file there (Adobe Editing Modes.xml).
Step 2 is to copy the "Canon HDV" folder to C:\Program Files (=> Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 (=> Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0)\Settings\en_US. MY \Settings has a small "s" and I don't have the \en_US folder but after poking around a bit it looks like the other presets are in the \Sequence Presets\NTSC folder so I put it in there and the "Canon HDV" folder shows up in under NTSC in the Change Settings box but no little plus sign to get it to open and show the presets.
Any idea what I might have done wrong?
I also saw somewhere to use the "interpret footage" box but when I tried that it slowed the audio unacceptably.
I also saw jkents new editing presets for PE8 but it says "warning-advanced users only" and I'm clearly not.
Meanwhile, I would really love to be able to shoot in HD 24fps, edit in HD 24fps, and share in HD 24fps but it looks like it's not to be with the hardware and software I have. It looks like if I upgrade to PE 10 and get an external Blu-ray burner, that might get me there, except then the people I want to share with would need a Blu-ray player. I realize this is an Adobe forum and I'm already a little bit familiar with PE (mostly with what it won't do at this point but I'm sure that's only because I don't know how) so I'm not exactly relishing the idea of yet another learning curve if I switch but I'm also not thrilled about paying Adobe (via an upgrade) to drop the ball on AVCHD so if there is an easier way, I'm all ears. For the price of the upgrade bundle it looks like it's not that far away from Premiere Pro. Would that be a better way to go?
Anyway, please pardon my ignorance. Thanks in advance and any info is appreciated.
Sony VAIO VPCF1390X
Intel I7 Q740 1.73gHZ, 6 GB ram
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Nvidia graphics (G425m, I think)
PE 8

You shouldn't have to add any presets to your program files folder. In fact, I recommend you don't toy around in there. You might break something. (I hope you haven't already!) The program already has everything you need (particularly if you've also installed Quicktime from Apple.com, per the program's requirements.)
You should not be using the HDV presets for your project. Your camcorder is not an HDV camcorder. It shoots in AVCHD, as you indicated, so it uses a different set of project settings.
Start a new Premiere Elements project and, on the screen where you name the project, click Settings. The settings you want for your project are Full AVCHD 1920x1080. Your camcorder records in either stereo or 5.1 audio, so it's important you also pick the right audio settings.
With these settings, editng should go very smoothly on your computer.
However, because your original project apparently didn't use these settings, you may be in trouble there. Go to Edit/Project Settings. (They will be grayed-out, since you can't change them mid-project.) Are they other than 1920x1080 AVC video?
In short, you'll be happy to hear that using this program is much simpler than you've been led to believe. Unfortunately, you've got to use the program correctly or you're going to put a lot of wasted effort into it.
So start with my free 8-part Basic Training tutorials at Premiere Elements support site Muvipix.com. They'll, at least, get you on the right track.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/537685

IMovie not compatible with Canon HV20?

Can't get my iMac to recognize my HV20. Anybody else have one and able to explain if I'm missing something? Got a firewire cable, plugged it into the HDV/DV port on the camera, turned it to "play" and I'm getting nothing. On the camera, no matter if I set the output to DV or HDV/DV, the mac doesn't see it.
Canon's website says I shouldn't need anything for OS X support.
About to head upstairs to my windows box to see if it'll see it.
Any suggestions? I'd much rather use the mac for vid capture than my windows computer.

... it certainly makes me wonder about your compute setup. Do you have any other Firewire devices connected to your computer when you are trying to make the video transfer? I know some earlier Canon DV camcorders wanted to be the only Firewire device on the bus during transfer.
Macintosh: FireWire Issue With Some Canon Mini-DV Cameras at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61603
iMovie: Cannot see or control camera at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=43000 has a lot of good information!
F Shippey

Canon ZR500

I have a canon zr500 camcorder and it will not turn on. any ideas on what the problem could be? The battery has been charged and is functioning fine in another camera. Is the ZR500 worth fixing? I need one that uses the Mini DV tape so I can transfer my childrens videos to DVD. What other Canon Camcorders use the mni dv tape? Thanks!

Since the camcorder is more than one year old, it is out of warranty. We have two options available: you may participate in the Canon Loyalty Program, or send the camcorder in for repair.
The Canon Loyalty Program option allows you to replace your current camcorder with a refurbished Canon camcorder for a discounted fee, and have it shipped via Ground delivery. The refurbished unit offered through this program carries a 90 day warranty. The original non-functioning camcorder would then be returned to Canon USA for recycling using a prepaid shipping label that would be provided. If you would like to take part in this option, please call our Sales Department at (866) 443-8002 seven days a week, 8am to Midnight. Let them know you have been working with email technical support and the Canon Loyalty Program was offered. Be sure to have your serial number for your camcorder at the time of your call.
You can also send your camcorder in for service. If you prefer this option, please forward your digital camcorder to the Factory Service Center shown below. When shipping your camcorder, please be sure to remove the memory card and battery. You are not required to send any accessories or manuals when shipping the camcorder. Be sure to include your name, street address (no P.O. boxes, please), telephone number, and a letter describing the issue with the product.
As we do not provide RMA numbers for service, we suggest using a trackable and insurable service (i.e. UPS, Federal Express, Priority Mail) to ship your camcorder. Please package the camcorder very securely to prevent damage during shipment.
Please send your camcorder to the closest of the following addresses:
Canon Factory Service
100 Ridge Rd
Jamesburg, NJ 08831
Canon Factory Service
15955 Alton Parkway
Irvine, Ca 92618
Canon Factory Service Center
12022 Canon Blvd
Newport News, VA 23606
Upon arrival at the Factory Service Center, your camcorder will be logged in to our repair database and assigned a repair number. Next, the camcorder will be visually inspected and you will be advised of the findings.
A written estimate will be sent to you at the address that you have provided. The repairs to your camcorder will not begin until you approve this estimate and make payment arrangements. If, after receiving the estimate, you do not wish to have the camcorder repaired, please inform the Factory Service Center of your decision as soon as possible. If you decline the estimate, the camcorder will be shipped back to you unrepaired.
When the repairs are complete, the camcorder will be shipped back to you via Federal Express or UPS. The length of time for the repair will be dependent upon the nature of the repair and availability of parts, if needed. Usually, repairs are completed within approximately seven to ten business days of payment.
Once you have confirmed with your shipper that the camcorder has been delivered, you are more than welcome to contact us for repair updates. Please include your name, address, and telephone number, as well as the serial number of the camcorder, in all repair status inquiries.
The standard labor cost to make the repair is $149.00. Parts may be an additional cost. camcorders damaged by liquid, sand, applied pressure or force may have a considerably higher repair cost, depending on the results of the Factory Service Center's evaluation.
Unfortunately, none of Canon's camcorders use DV tapes. You may find playback decks that are able to playback your tapes. You may also be able to find a local or online service that can transfer your videos to DVD.
Did this answer your question? Please click the Accept as Solution button so that others may find the answer as well.

Does anyone use a LaCie external hard drive with their Mac using imovie '09? I have some questions.

Does anyone use a LaCie external hard drive with their Mac using imovie '09? I have some questions.

Are you actually having a problem with the new Lacie drive, or are you just asking is the Lacie drive somehow different from your old G-Drive?
From a connection standpoint, most Lacie desktop drives have both USB and FireWire connections, just like the G-Drives do. You would connect and use it the same as a G-Drive.
Regarding capturing to the external HD, if you are using a camcorder that has FireWire (iLink) connection, it is not advisable to have an external FireWire HD connected to your Mac at the same time as your camcorder; there are often communication conflicts between the camcorder and the hard drive if they are connected at the same time. The conflicts usually appear as either dropped frames or a complete freeze. This is more common with Canon miniDV camcorders but I have also seen this behavior with Sony miniDV camcorders. (The problem is the camcorder's FW implementation, not the hard drive.) The workaround is to capture to your Mac's internal HD and later copy the captured video to your external HD.

Record to DV tape

In sequence/sequence settings my payback settings menu is greyed out, Why and how to fix?
I cannot get CS6 to record to the DV tape using a cannon GL2 camera.
I tried to export to tape and the program controlled the camera, said it was recording (program and camera) but it did not record to the tape, nothing showed up on the display screen of the camera? Can any one help please?
Computer - PC - Windows 7 64bit
Program - Premiere Pro cs6
Canon GL2 camcorder

I don't know if these are for the same situation, but some reading that MAY help
Export to Tape http://forums.adobe.com/message/4699448
Hardware MPE must be OFF to be able to export via Firewire
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/902499
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/880824

Can someone walk me through AVCHD transcoding on Mac

I'm using 2-3 Canon AVCHD camcorders and editing in Premiere Pro CS4. Here's what I'd been doing until recently:
I connected my camera via usb to iMovie '08 and imported footage from the flash memory and sdhc cards.
I learned iMovie changes the imported avchd into Apple's Intermediate Codec. I have resorted to using the setting right below full HD (iMovie claims that the lower setting will be smaller in size but show similar quality, and that the full HD import setting will have playback issues on slower Macs like my mbp), import the footage, then close iMovie and open Premiere. I set up the project as avchd 1080i or 1080p, depending on how I taped, then import the files. Premiere used to crash or freeze when I would try to edit 2-3 tracks, and I was not familiar enough with importing through Premiere's Media Browser. Also, I couldn't use the multi-cam edit function as the avchd files are too cpu-intensive, so I have to sync my clips, then cut each track and playback every now and again. I don't bother rendering because it would take too long and eat up hard drive space.
I export via Adobe Dynamic Link when I need a simple DVD and don't have time to mess with bitrate and other settings (that's another issue that I will be working on after I get the initial issues resolved, and perhaps is the third biggest area where I'm losing quality; the first area might be that I am operating the 32-bit software on an old macbook pro with 256GB video ram where the software is limiting the ram and causing slowdowns; the second being that I wasn't importing footage in iMovie with the Full HD setting).
The dvd quality hasn't been as good as I expected, and I wondered if Premiere was degrading iMovie's intermediate codec, or if I was messing things up on export by not knowing enough about bitrates and gaussian blurs to offset camera noise.
I'm in the middle of big projects that I have to complete and I won't be ready to try Final Cut until AFTER I've completed this project (deadlines!).
Can someone properly walk me through the process of transferring footage from the camera or sdhc card to my Mac, to avchd folder/file structures to transcoding in PavTube's MTS Converter for Mac (or StreamClip or something else)?
I have since bought more hard drives; have learned that although Premiere handles avchd natively, it's not the easiest format to edit and may be killing my cpu. I have also learned that, in Premiere, you don't have to worry about sequence setting as much as I thought, that it will take just about anything you throw at it even if the load is killing the cpu. I just bought a new iMac and have not yet chosen an editing program because I want to correct my errors before making another expensive purchase. I have been leaning toward Adobe Production Premium CS6 as it's 64-bit, has a great graphics engine (so I've heard), and is taking the lead against Avid and Final Cut.
Pardon my long post, but I need detail and am giving you details. Thanks in advance!

hello, first please understand that like most free software we cannot provide support via telephone, so let's continue here in the forum.
from the troubleshooting information that you have provided it appears that there is some adware/malware that is present on your system. so please perform these steps:
# [[Reset Firefox – easily fix most problems|reset firefox]] (this will keep your bookmarks and passwords)
# afterwards go to the firefox menu ≡ > addons > extensions and in case there are still extensions listed there, disable them.
# finally run a full scan of your system with different security tools like the [http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free free version of malwarebytes] and [http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/ adwcleaner] to make sure that adware isn't present in other places of your system as well.
[[Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware]]
if you'd like us to take a closer look on your crashes in particular, then please provide your latest few submitted crash reports? please enter '''about:crashes''' into the location bar (see screenshot), copy the latest few report ids from there starting with '''bp-''' & paste them here into a forum reply. this will give us a better understanding what may be triggering those crashes.

AVI Xvid and Premiere Elements 6......will I have problems?

Hello,
I am thinking about buying an Insignia NS-DCC5HB09 HD Camcorder which records to AVI(Xvid). I realize this isn't a high quality camera, but from what I've seen, will do as well if not better than my Panasonic PV-GS120 digital Camcorder.
I use Premiere Elements 6 on my Vista Home Premium Computer and I am curious if anyone can tell me if I will have problems using the video from this camera in my projects?

Many of the hi-def camcorders that are sold as being perfect for YouTube use MP4 compression (the Flip cameras, for instance). They're nice and small and cheap and are great for plug and play, but I don't recommend them if you want to do any video editing.
I also recommend against camcorders that save to hard drives, including the AVCHD hi-def camcorders. (I say this despite the fact that many people are using them.) They demand a tremendous amount of computing power in Premiere Elements. Maybe, in a few years, when computers are twice as fast as a typical quad core -- but not for today's under $1,000 computers.
My not-so-humble advice is to stick with tape-based camcorders, whether they are standard DV or hi-def. That means miniDV and HDV, basically. In fact, the Canon HV camcorders are used by a number of the people on the Muvipix site and they love them! Affordable and excellent quality.
In fact, go over to the Muvipix forum and check out the camcorder forum there. I'm sure you'll find lots of good information and friendly advice.

AVCHD and Apple (The Truth)

A little background. I was a PC user happily editing DV videos of friends and family for years, my PC notebook was stolen so I thought what an opportunity to get a Macbook (because everyone says video editing is faster/better/easier w/ a 2.4ghz intel 4gb of RAM it was!). Editing DV video with imovie HD, great! Now the camera starts bugging out, so it seemed logical to upgrade to an HD cam, the HF100! Now the frustration begins.
I would like to be able to make an HD movie, and either export it to a DVD via AVCHD or back to an SD card for playback on the camera. Seems you need to edit AVCHD natively to do either, which apparently Apple does not support?
To make a long story short, you can't do either! The included Pixela imagemaker software states it can import, edit and export AVCHD to either DVD or a camera, guess what? Windows only.
I thought, no problem, I'll use it via VMware Fusion and my XP pro Virtual Machine can do it. Wrong! Won't even recognize the camera.
How about calling Apple, their suggestion? Import and edit with imovie, than use the macbooks DVI output to use an HDTV as a monitor. Ok at least there is an option, but oh wait a minute the AIC files iMovie creates are HUGE. Try over 7gb for just 2 minutes of video. You can't even fit a reasonable sized project on 1 DVD, let alone a 10-30 minute one. Is it me or is this unacceptable?
Am I expecting to much from Canon, one of the best camera companies to offer something in the box to work with Apple? Is it unreasonable to expect Apple to fully support a format that has been out for almost 3 years? I thought Mac "Just Worked"?
Feel free to chime in and educate or correct me I missed something or if you know something I don't. I would be interested in knowing if any other HD cameras work or if there is some magic software for Mac I don't know about.
I would like nothing more than to be able to do these simple tasks, but it seems like either the goal of HD home movies or being a Mac user is not possible, how disappointing.

Welcome to iMovie Discussions.
I think maybe some clarification's needed..
1. AVCHD is a heavily compressed type of video: only one real frame of video in about 15 is actually recorded (on the camcorder's internal hard disc or memory chips, or whatever a particular camcorder uses). The next 14 or so frames of every 15 are just "jottings" of what's changed between frames. So to edit AVCHD frame-accurately (..so that you can position sound and audio exactly where you want them..) the "missing" frames need to be regenerated from the highly compressed video. (..It's like concentrated orange juice or cola syrup needing to have lots of water added back to it to make it drinkable ..that expands just a few ccs of juice back to a proper glassful.)
So Apple -e-x-p-a-n-d-s- the compressed video back to its true file size when all the squashed and missing frames have been reconstituted. That's why the AIC ('Apple Intermediate Codec') file sizes are so large ..because AIC really is proper video, whereas AVCHD is video which looks real enough (..except during rapid movement, when it can appear rather jerky!..) but is temporarily reconstituted in the camcorder for playback. ..Just like playing back a Hollywood-movie DVD ..two hours' worth of action squeezed onto a small disc by compressing the video (using MPEG-2 format) so that 2 hours' play-time can be squeezed onto a 4.7GB disc. The DVD player hardware then uncompresses the video on-the-fly as it plays ..same with AVCHD camcorders.
2. You can thus import AVCHD, or hi-def HDV, into iMovie '08, but so that you can then edit the material, it's expanded back into real video. (..I don't know how PC-based software does it; I'll have a try next week.)
"..You can't even fit a reasonable sized project on 1 DVD, let alone a 10-30 minute one. Is it me or is this unacceptable?.." To burn a movie onto a DVD you don't need to worry about file size! The iDVD program will re-compress the material into MPEG-2 format so that - as with an off-the-shelf movie DVD - two hours' worth of video will fit on a 4.7GB DVD. (..Unless you're referring to copying a movie project onto a data-DVD, so that the half-edited project can be taken from one computer to another. In that case, if you're burning data, rather than final video, then you can fit about 20 mins of data on a 4.7GB disc. But you'd be far better off copying the data onto an external plug-in hard disc for transferring between computers.)
3. "..Am I expecting to much from Canon, one of the best camera companies to offer something in the box to work with Apple? Is it unreasonable to expect Apple to fully support a format that has been out for almost 3 years? I thought Mac "Just Worked"?.."
Canon cameras do "just work" straight out of the box with Macs and iMovie. I use two Canons, and a Panasonic, and numerous Sonys (..see the small print, below). You plug in the camcorder; run iMovie; Import your video; do whatever editing you want; burn the result - up to 2 hrs - onto a DVD using 'iDVD' ..or export to the web, or put the result back onto other media for replay in the camcorder, if the camcorder's capable of that. (..miniDV tape camcorders will accept DV straight back from iMovie HD 6 into the camcorder; hi-def HDV camcorders generally won't; AVCHD memory-chip camcorders should if the material's exported back to a chip in AVCHD format; hard drive camcorders generally don't accept the material back unless it's in the correct format. That usually involves saving the material onto your computer's hard disc, then using another program to convert it into the correct format ..programs like MPEG Streamclip, JES Deinterlacer and several others, like Voltaic, will convert video back and forth into various different formats..)
Apple does support AVCHD ..but the camera manufacturers are really kidding buyers with that squashing and squeezing which fits hours of video onto a small SD chip! That's done by compressing the video so that it seems to have very small file sizes. Its rthr lk wrtng txt wtht vwls. It sms 2 B vry smll. Hwvr, thts cos its cmprssd. 2 trn it in2 prpr wrds nd mk it lgbl it nds 2 hv th vwls nsrtd. ..Turning compressed text - or video! - back into legible language, or editable images, means a temporary -e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n- which the camera manufacturers don't prepare you for!
So, as Forest suggests above, an external hard disc is useful for holding the larger file sizes of AIC video.
Note than Canon FireWire-based (miniDV and HDV) camcorders like to be the only FireWire device in the circuit, and generally won't work properly with an external FireWire hard disc attached to the Mac. Canon USB camcorders don't seem to mind.
Oh; and for editing video material that's on an external disc, it should be a FireWire-connected disc; USB 2.0 (..supposedly a faster standard..) is generally too slow to handle the continuous file-transfer speeds necessary for smooth editing. (..Yes; no FireWire on the new "late-2008" MacBooks, but earlier models do have FireWire.)
Also, before using any external hard disc, plug it into your Mac and then go to Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility, select the external disc and click on the 'Erase' tab, and reformat the disc as 'Mac OS Extended' (..'Journaled', too, if you like). That erases the disc, but makes it more compatible with iMovie ..but it then won't be compatible with a PC, for transferring files back and forth.
Having reformatted it - it only takes a few seconds - then go to System Preferences>Spotlight, click the 'Privacy' tab, and drag the external disc's icon into that empty square "well" space. That stops your Mac indexing the material that's on the external disc, so that it doesn't slow down video transfers back and forth.
Welcome to movie editing on a Mac!

Firewire/1394 devices are not auto-detected with k8n neo4 platinum

I am unable to detect firewire/1394 devices to my PC through my K8N Neo4 Platinum. That is, I plug in the device through the firewire port and windows doesn't detect that a device has been plugged in.
I have tried:
-2 firewire devices, both are Canon digital camcorders (ZR10 and ZR25MC)
-2 different firewire cables
-reinstalling windows, got all windows updates except
(Microsoft Base Smart Card Cryptographic Service Provider Package: x86 (KB909520))
-patch from microsoft, discussed here
(https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=81749.0)
-both firewire devices using both cables connect just fine to a test computer
-both my computer and the test computer have Windows XP Pro SP2
Windows doesn't make the noise "bah-dum" that it has detected a device, nor does it display the dialog that gives me options of what programs to use. Once in a while, if I leave it connected for a while and come back, windows will eventually find it...or windows might bog down and get really slow. It speeds up again instantly once I unplug the firewire device. Strange, I know. Also there are NO conflicts in device manager.
Could it be?:
-bios misconfiguration
-need to use an older chipset driver (i am using most recent from nvidia.com)
-onboard audio or front audio needs to be disabled
-the k8n neo4 platinum simply has connection problems with some firewire devices
(i hope not)
Bob

Built2Last: (good questions!)
I tried your suggestion by removing PCI cards and made FURTHER progress. I found out that my firewire card, the Syba NEC1394-P3, has some compatibility issues with my other PCI cards. I found this out because:
1. it worked fine after I placed it in a non-comm (orange) slot and removed my soundcard (X-Fi) and Belkin wireless modem, and
2. a tech support representative from Syba told me that that particular firewire card has compatibility issues
Quote
Also, SD-NEC-4F is our older model firewire card.
Our new firewire card (SD-PCI-4F) is using VIA VT6306 chipset and no customer complain about any installation issue so far.
If the SD-NEC-4F still giving you trouble, I'll suggest you to return it and exchange for the SD-PCI-4F firewire card.
At least he is honest and wants to help, so I remain impartial towards Syba.
So I figured out the firewire card, but not the onboard firewire. Ok, but check this out! When the Syba card was working, I could plug in BOTH the external hard drive AND either of the Canon camcorders to the Syba firewire card. Windows all three devices just fine. Again, the onboard firewire would ONLY detect JUST the external hard drive, but would not detect either of the Canon camcorders. It seems as though the ball again is knocked back into MSI's court on this issue. Any ideas?
syar2003:
As for drivers, I checked for drivers for: onboard firewire, add-in firewire card, and Canon camcorders.
-I cannot find where there is an MSI firewire driver for my onboard firewire port. I originally guess that it was part of my chipset driver installer, but the README doesn't say anything about it. It is also not an additional download on MSI's website. But since it detects an external hard drive I figure I must already have it.
-The add-in firewire card does not have drivers. I repeat, they do not exist. The manual and Syba's website both state that drivers for the card are included all versions of Windows back to Windows 98.
-Canon's website has a driver/software download page but it also appears that drivers do not exist for the Canon camcorders.
Yes the camcorder is set to VCR mode.
Yes the IEEE1394 is correctly installed, since external hard drive connects okay.
I tried two DV cables and both are connected fine.
The camcorders do not support USB as far as I can see, and if they do, I'm not using it.

Canon HD Camcorders

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